ET15 ASSIGNMENT 04 MODULAR WALL MODELS FOR MY LEVEL

***Update 9.28.16 #3 -- speed modeling***

walls

doors

windows

They are ugly, but I made them in 10 minutes!  hahaha

***Update 9.28.16 #2 -- too much geo***

Hmmm... well I made another computer wall, but this one is waaayyyyy  toooooo geeeeooooo heavy. I'm sure there is a way to fix it...  I had better make some doors really quick though...

***Update 9.28.16 -- ZBrush workflow***

There was some good and some bad and some ugly when i brought in my Zbrush ZModeler computer terminal wall.  

The good was that the different pieces came in as groups and colored groups, at that.  That should make them very easy to uv and texture.

The bad was that the scale TIIIINNNY compared to the reference pieces.  Also, there was some degenerate piece that came from Zbrush that I couldn't actually figure out how to delete.  As you can see, i fixed everything more or less.  

First I normalized the scale of the object, then I matched the scale (in X) to the reference wall.  Then I had to do a little bit of manual tweaking to get the object to sit just properly on the construction plane.

The ugly was that i had some nasty pinching along the edge of my geometry.  I figure that's just because I am not so good at Zbrush right now.  I will see if i can do a couple more and get the geometry a little better.

***Update 9.27.16 #5***

I tried something a little bit different for this wall piece.  I tried using the Zmodeler brush in Zbrush.  I am a complete ZBrush novice, so this is a bit crude right now.  You can see, again, my inspiration was from 2300 AD Chrono Trigger.  I will probably make a couple of variations of this and refine it, but this is my basic attempt.

I have an idea to make a hologram sprite effect in Houdini.  So when you activate the computer panel, a hologram will pop out of it.  It will just play as a sprite effect in Unreal so hopefully it will look cool for no performance hit.

***Update 9.27.16 #4***

So, i made some railings. they are not quite right, but at least it is something.  They are instanced along the catwalk procedurally; so, i can tweak them later.  

Spaceman can still jump on top of them... also they make the catwalk feel even less dangerous..  i need to fix that.  gotta make some doors and junk, tho...

The view from overhead reminds me that I am not so fond of the default camera.  (it's not that it is bad, but it is sooooo generic).  I would like to have a 3/4 overhead view similar to The Legend Of Zelda:  A Link Between Worlds.

I remember The Tower of Hera was especially good from that game.  If you skip ahead in this video, there is a part where Link is outside the Tower on moving platforms far above Death Mountain.  It is really awesome in 3D.

***Update 9.27.16 #3***

The original size of my level was feeling a bit small.  I tried making the level a bit bigger (which was as easy as moving a slider.)  The catwalk updated accordingly, which was great.  However, I noticed that the catwalk placement was just so that Spaceman could jump right over the gaps.  That kind of defeats the purpose of having a maze...

Another thing I noticed is that everytime I increase the size of the level, the lighting begins to feel inadequate.  I need to figure out if I can do procedural placement of the lights...

Ok, actually i need to finish doing this weeks assignment... I will work on that now.  I swear!

***Update 9.27.16 #2***

Here is Spaceman walking on the catwalk.  Right now, the catwalk is procedurally generated points that have modular pieces instanced on each point.  The catwalk will scale with the size of the level.  I will also (maybe?) instance balcony pieces around the edges next.   Also, i need to have the columns cut through the maze.  

I feel like the catwalk is too low though, it needs to be much higher in order to feel scary.  Also, I wonder if maybe the modular pieces are too large for the catwalk.  Maybe I will cut them into quarter sections for the catwalk section.  I am not sure about that yet.

***Update 9.27.16***

Back in Houdini again.  Since the 2nd level from the reference photo looked like a catwalk to me, i thought about having it be a little maze.  I was thinking something kind of inspired by the part in Chrono Trigger where you have to chase the mouse along the rigging in 2300 AD.

...actually, everything I ever do is at least partly based on Chrono Trigger.

***Update 9.26.16 #2***

I made my first modular wall piece.  I didn't exactly base it on Halo 4...  (I know, I'm terrible...)  can you guess what game was my inspiration for this wall module?   (I will keep you in suspense for a while)

Oh, and look!  My spaceman is actually standing on top of the floor.  I fixed the collision on my Houdini tool!

  

Speaking of which... space man has GOT TO GO!  I'm sick of looking at him!  He is not making me happy.  Spaceman, your days are numbered!

***Update 9.26.16***

Ok, i know i need to get to building some wall pieces, but i did a little more hacking in houdini instead.  Procedural textures are nice.  they are looking a little bit better.  (although the UVs need work).  Also, i still need to figure out collision Geo.

another thing I was thinking is just building the level off a square grid is boring.  I was thinking of was to build a grid with an arbitrary shape.  I think i could poly-expand a curve. and make the grid to instance geometry by subdividing the expanded curve using a bricker polygon algorithm.    That would (theoretically) allow you to draw out an arbitray shape for the room from within Unreal.

After lunch i will model some doors and wall pieces!

***Original Post***

I am still hacking at my procedural level design tool.  I would like to develop a fully-procedural level tool for instancing the modular geometry by the end of the class.

i got the grids to line up for the floors and walls, and i also got substance files working for the textures, which is nice.  I envision a workflow that uses Houdini assets and substances to build up the level in Unreal.

The main problem i have right now is getting the collision geometry to build correctly.

ET15 ASSIGNMENT 03 GAMEPLAY - LEVELS & OBJECTIVES & DETAILED LEVEL BLOCKOUT

***update 9.21.16***

Since i got the basic assignment done for this week, i decided to start making a digital asset in Houdini to recreate the process.  So far, I have basic functionality working.

The asset is supposed to build a walls and a floor based on numerical inputs.  The asset instances the standin geometry from class by default, but the geometry can be replaced.  right now the walls are a little off, but i'm working on it.  

The level seems to have some basic features, floorpieces, columns, ramps, ceiling and catwalks.  I will try to implement all (at least) all of those into the asset.  That should facilitate making changes to the level design quickly and efficiently.

Blocking out the level, woo:

ii- Objective- what do you have to do?

You are following a little robot. The robot is smaller than you and he can move through spaces and take little elevators that you can't fit through.

iii-Items- what new items or skills can you gain?

You learn to transform (maybe?) and you can have a different skillset when you do.

iv- Obstacles- can be actual characters or even elements of the environment itself

platforms that dissapear and reappear. Moving platforms. Maybe hidden walls that you can't see until you change the lighting (holograms)

v- Actions- What do you actually get to do in this level?

Run, jump, maybe swing a sword, maybe even transform between Phoebe and Athena.

vi- End Goal- What is the end goal of the level? what do

you follow the robot up the tower until you get to a populated area. At that point you meet… someone (not sure who yet) who sets you on another part of your quest.

ET15 ASSIGNMENT 02: BSP LEVEL BLOCKOUT

ET15  ASSIGNMENT 02: BSP LEVEL BLOCKOUT:

***Update***

I managed to block out some catwalks and columns.  I will try to do the next assignments more thoroughly.

***Original Post***

I was at a yoga festival from wednesday until monday.  Then i spent the last 2 days trying to get Unreal working properly on my machine.  I was having a lot of issues with Unreal and the Epic Launcher crashing.  Its favorite time to crash was usually when I clicked on a saved level to reopen it. That was pretty darn awful, because i kept having to start over...

I think i got everything sorted (hopefully).  Maybe I can post something/get something done before class starts.  haha.

ET15 ASSIGNMENT 01: Current Portfolio & 3D Modeling Test

3D Modeling Test:

**update 9.14.16**

Here are some pictures from my "portfolio."  First up is my obligatory space-shooter for Android made in Unity entitled "Cruxton."  It uses accelerometer controls and the graphics were made in Houdini.  (such as they are).

This was the first game I made in Unity; so, i learned about using a modern game engine.  Also, this was the first time I had made an Android app, so I learned about that too.  Also, this was the first time I programmed anything in C#.

***

Next is a 2D Android game made in Unity which is a spinoff part of my Crystal Tower game world.  This game is called  Tree and Fairy.  You control a fairy who's tree has been turned into a crystal while she was out picking Wooley Blue Curls for a potion.  Worse still, hordes of robots are coming to mine chunks of your crystal-tree.  You have to fight them off as you search for a way to save your home.

This is the first time I made a 2D game; so, i got to learn about dealing with 2D.  Also, this was the first time I worked with touchscreen controls.  Finally, and most importantly, this was the first time i worked in a team.

Besides for me, there were an artist and an animator.  There are certainly interesting challenges that arise when working in a team.  Eventually, the artist got pregnant and left town... then my laptop got stolen.  that was pretty much the end of this project.  (although i have backups from a few versions back).  I also started working on a 3D version of the game at some point.

***

Here is an early demo of Crystal Tower which was made in Unity.  You are a girl named Phoebe who lives in a Fairy Forest.  One day, while you are out picking Wooley Blue Curls for a potion (do you notice a pattern? :D ), you stumble across a little robot rolling around in the tall grass.  You follow the robot into a portal which leads to a holographic Crystal Tower which is mining energy from your Fairy Forest world to fuel itself.

There you find out that, aside from being a Fairy Forest girl, you are actually the Goddess of the Crystal Tower named Athena (or maybe named Flavia).  You gain the ability to switch back and forth between the two characters which affects your skills, appearance, attitude, and also affects the way others perceive you.

This is certainly my "pet project."  Making this demo was the first time i messed around with several things.  I learned about using navigation meshes, dialogue systems, and AI.  Also, I have developed a handful of characters for the world; so, it was my first time attempting any sort of documentation for a game.  I made a wiki which includes a writer's bible.  (modeled after concepts outlined by Christy Marx.)

If possible, I would like for my project in this class to fit into the world of Crystal Tower.  I think it might be a good fit since I imagine the Crystal Tower to have a bit of a sci-fi, techno-magick, steam-punk feel to it.

***

I wrote all of the music for these games.  Some of which can be heard on Soundcloud.  Unfortunately, much of it was stolen when my laptop got stolen.  (yes i suck, i didn't make a backup, fml.)

Soundcloud gamemusic set

**update 9.13.16**

Just for fun, I loaded the same assets into Unreal.  Here they are running in Unreal, and they look more-or-less as I had intended.  For some reason the door looks like it has a very thick coat of glossy lacquer... ahem... i meant to do that...  It's a feature  :D

**update 9.12.16**

I figured out my texture problem in Maya, and I partially solved it.  Basically, there is a limitation in the Houdini plugin that only allows Maya to access one Material per geometry object.  So, for instance, I had originally made my lamp as one single object.  To get separate materials, i had to split the base, the lamp body, and the lampshade into separate geometry objects in order to view the separate materials in Maya.  

Unfortunately, the way the window and door/wall assets were made, it would have been difficult and time consuming to remake them as a group of separate geometry objects.

Since there is no such problem with the Unreal-Houdini plugin, I decided not to worry about it for this assignment.  

**original post**

Since I have never really used Maya, I decided I would try to make procedural model assets in Houdini and load them into Maya for rendering.  I made some basic assets, which contain textures within the Houdini asset file.

So far, the results have been mixed.  When I began loading assets into Maya, I found that the textures were not being displayed until I checked "hardware textures."  Then the textures were displayed incorrectly.  Specifically, assets containing multiple uvs and textures were not being displayed correctly.  Only the first texture in each asset was applied to the entire asset.

In this early test render, the wall and door, the table, and the lamp are all separate assets.  I am attempting to understand why this texture workflow was inadequate.

Since Houdini Digital Assets can also be loaded into Unreal, I decided to try loading the same assets into an Unreal scene.  I recreated the same early scene, and this time the results were as expected.